FC Haskovo 1957 (Bulgarian: ФК Хасково 1957) is a Bulgarianfootball club based in Haskovo, that currently plays in the Third Amateur Football League, the third tier of Bulgarian football. Haskovo's home ground is the Haskovo Stadium, which has a capacity of 9 000 spectators. Haskovo have spent a total of 7 seasons in the Bulgarian elite, most recently in the 2014-15 season. FC Haskovo 1957's biggest rival is considered to be FC Lyubimets, the second most popular team from the Haskovo province.
FC Haskovo was an established team in the B PFG, the second division of Bulgarian football, and an almost constant participant in the division for many seasons. It played in A PFG during periods of 1978-1979, 1981–1984, 1990–1991 and 1992-1993. Its greatest success was 8th in 1981-82 season. It also played in the Regional League between 2009-2012. Haskovo made 3 successive promotions and returned to top level 21 years later, in 2014.
Their top-flight return proved to be difficult. The team only managed to win two games and draw one in the regular season of the 2014-15 season. All 7 points came from home games, with no points earned from away games. This placed Haskovo in last place, in the relegation zone. Surprisingly however, Haskovo managed to beat Ludogorets Razgrad, the defending champions, with a score of 1-0. In the second phase, Haskovo were prime candidates to be relegated. They managed to beat Lokomotiv Plovdiv, and fellow strugglers Marek Dupnitsa at home, as well as drawing against giants Levski Sofia, as well as Slavia Sofia. These efforts were however not enough, as the team only managed to obtain 15 points, meaning they were still 17 points behind Lokomotiv Plovdiv, who avoided relegation. Thus, Haskovo along with fellow newcomers Marek, were relegated after only one season in the top flight.
Problems continued for Haskovo however. The team was supposed to play in B PFG for the 2015-16 season, but they did not obtain a license and decided not to compete.
The team disappeared for the next three years, but it was refounded as Haskovo 1957 and started competing in the fourh level of Bulgarian football. The team won the regional A OFG Haskovo league and promoted to the third tier for the 2018-19 season. The aim of the reformed club is to get back to the Bulgarian elite as soon as possible and avoid the financial problems that haunted and ultimately folded the previous team.
Delcho Korchev
